


Autumn and Wynter: A Barking Dog Winery Story

by pinkdiamonds



Series: The Barking Dog Winery [5]
Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: AU, Angst, Drama, Established Relationship, Family Drama, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-02
Updated: 2011-08-02
Packaged: 2017-10-22 03:20:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/233174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkdiamonds/pseuds/pinkdiamonds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life is good. . . How will the arrival of Autumn and Wynter change things?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Autumn and Wynter: A Barking Dog Winery Story

**Author's Note:**

> This is a standalone story. It is not necessary to read the other stories in the series, but it might make this one more enjoyable.
> 
> There is a brief mention of two underage characters having sex with each other and the homophobic reaction of others.
> 
> Thanks to AM.
> 
> Cover art by Astroskylark.

### 

### Cast of Characters in The Barking Dog Winery Universe/Places

Colonel Jonathan “Jack” O’Neill (Retired), current owner of the Barking Dog Winery. Retired from the Air Force after being injured in the line of duty.

Doctor Daniel Jackson, head of the Anthropology and Archeology Department at Southold College, multiple PhD’s.

Doctor John Sheppard (Major, Honorable Discharge), head of the Math Department at Southold College, holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics.

Doctor Rodney McKay, head of the Physics and Engineering Department at Southold College, multiple PhD’s.

Lieutenant General George Hammond (Retired), President of Southold College.

Doctor Jeannie McKay Miller, Rodney’s sister, holds a PhD in Physics, consults part time.

Doctor Kaleb Miller, Jeannie’s husband, holds a PhD in English lit.

Madison Miller, Jeannie and Kaleb’s daughter, has inherited her mother and uncle’s intelligence.

Patrick and Kathleen Sheppard, John’s parents.

David and Leah Sheppard, John’s brother and his wife.

Andrew and Sabrina Sheppard, David and Leah’s children.

Winsome Moore-Simon, caterer in the town of Southold, works primarily with Jack O’Neill at The Pavilion, the event venue at the winery. One of Jack’s closest friends.

Bradley (Brad), Simon, Winsome’s husband, who runs a contracting business. He built The Pavilion.

Zakia Moore-Simon, Winsome and Brad’s daughter.

Nicola Calavari, head winemaker at the Barking Dog Winery.

Teal’c, General Manager of the Barking Dog Winery.

Doctor Radek Zelenka, Professor at Southold College, holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and works very closely with Rodney.

Joseph (Joe) Cacciatore (deceased), original owner of the Barking Dog Winery, which was the first winery on the East End of Long Island. He left the winery to Jack when he died.

Anelina (Nella) Cacciatore (deceased). Joe’s wife.

Bernie, Winsome’s former sous-chef, now head chef at The Wisteria Room.

Martin (Marty) Licht, lawyer.

Billy, employee working under Nicola Calavari.

Brian, the manager of the tasting room.

Zoe, a part time employee at the tasting room.

The Barking Dog Winery is located in Peconic, a hamlet in the town of Southold. This area, on the North Fork of Long Island, is also referred to as the East End, which encompasses both the North and South Forks.

Southold College, a private college that in the past has catered to the children of the wealthy. Under George Hammond’s direction, a number of the world’s top scientists have been added to the faculty in recent years.

 

### Prelude

Since Daniel had moved in with Jack, a little over three years ago, there had been many changes at the winery. Jack had expanded the business when he built several additions to the winery. Brad had put up a large wooden gazebo behind the tasting room, and Jack added tables for visitors to enjoy their lunch.

That had brought in a great deal of new business, mainly families enjoying a day in the country, kids and dogs in tow. Jack had given them a place to picnic no matter the weather. Anticipating the boom in business, he expanded the tasting room to include more facilities at the same time.

And, in a truly inspired gamble, he designed a room with an attached deck off the side of the tasting room. The addition matched the style of the tasting room, but that was the only similarity. Winsome dubbed it The Wisteria Room for the flowers that climbed and covered the pergola at the entrance of the room in imitation of grapes.

The room, closed to the general public was ultra modern, with exposed black beams, highly polished black tables, and a small, modern, flueless fireplace inset in the wall. In place of wood, a pile of two-dozen large white and smooth river rocks allowed the flames to peek through. The white rocks contrasted with the black frame of the fireplace, creating a focal point for the entire room.

The stark white walls, with touches of violet throughout, and modern fixtures added to the overall elegance. The room opened onto the deck, which had a raised platform for live music. A small kitchen was able to provide light fare in the form of gourmet soups, salads, sandwiches and burgers for the thirty people the room could hold.

Jack had intended the room for the smaller parties The Pavilion couldn’t accommodate. In the two years the room had been opened, it had become very popular with bachelor and bachelorette parties as well as corporate team building days and was booked solid most days, as well as Thursday through Saturday night.

Jack allowed parties to cater additional food from The Pavilion’s kitchen and to hire either a band or a DJ. He had speakers and a CD player for those who wanted music but not the expense of outside music. People attending those parties just supplied their own CD’s and took turns choosing the music.

Winsome put Bernie in charge of the smaller venue, when Jack had asked for her advice. It meant finding and training a new sous-chef, but she was willing to make the sacrifice for Jack. Bernie also had an assistant and there were times when he ran events at The Pavilion and his assistant, Aaron took over The Wisteria Room.

Three months after Rodney had moved in with John, he happened to find Jack in his office doing the books by hand. He had a minor meltdown and spent a weekend at the winery setting up a computer system. He computerized the entire winery, and hooked one of Jack’s home computers into the network.

It cut down on much of the tedious work and allowed Jack to turn over more responsibility to Teal’c. Together they interviewed and hired an Assistant Manger. The business was booming and Jack wanted to free up time for himself and for Teal’c. They found a man, Walter Harriman, who was a genius of organization.

Walter, a quiet and unassuming man, took over the financial records, the bookings for both the winery venues, the orders that poured into the winery, and managed The Wisteria room. He provided whatever extras the clients needed with grace and efficiency. And people raved, making the Barking Dog Winery the most successful winery on the East End of Long Island.

Teal’c oversaw the day-to-day operation of the winery, taking turns with Jack showing up at The Pavilion, to make sure all the parties ran smoothly. Jack was able to spend more time in the vineyard and at the winery with Nicola. The seasonal release Jack had overseen several years ago had been extremely successful and he had allowed Nicola to oversee the development of a new single varietal wine that was nearly ready for release.

The vineyard had a healthy crop of Petit Verdot grapes, usually used in various Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, and other blends including the Barking Dog’s signature wine, Serendipity. They were planning on calling the new release Legend, and if all turned out the way they planned, Legend would become another signature wine.

Tastings over the last few seasons had shown a wine that exhibited the aromas of violets, blueberry, spice, and leather. It was a full-bodied wine with chewy tannins that coated the mouth and imparted the flavors of ripe berries and currants. Its finish was unusually long and hinted of vanilla. Legend would be a wine that improved the older it was. They would be advertising it to go with all red meats and as being especially fine with game and spicy foods.

They were sticking with a 500 bottle release, perhaps out of superstition, perhaps not willing to end up with egg on their faces. Serendipity sold for $35.00 a bottle; Legend would be sold at $125.00 per bottle. It was a huge gamble, but Jack knew no matter how it turned out, this would make Nicola’s name in the industry.

They’d had a number of discussions about it, usually after she was approached by other wineries trying to lure her away from Barking Dog. Fortunately for Jack, Nicola understood herself very well. She realized her abrasive personality and somewhat aggressive nature would eventually rub most owners the wrong way and she’d be shown the door quickly. Jack allowed her to run things as she saw fit and didn’t take offense at her prickly temper and sharp tongue. She was staying right here, with Jack, who’d given her a chance and with people she considered more like family than anything else.

Jack had made so many improvements because he wanted the winery to remain viable and competitive. He hired good people to make sure he had time to enjoy his life, the life he owed to Joe Cacciatore. Every morning Jack awoke next to Daniel, he gave a small silent prayer of thanks to Joe, always remembering his advice to find someone to share his life with and to love. He carefully nurtured Joe’s dream, expanding on it because he owed it to him. And Jack had never been happier.

### October

Daniel’s arms were around Jack, one arm tightly holding his chest as his hand brushed across pebbled nipples, his other hand tugging gently on his erection. His mouth grazed hungrily on Jack’s neck as he slowly stroked into him, keeping them just on the edge of orgasm.

Jack had blown Daniel awake over an hour ago. Daniel had turned the tables on him when he wiggled out from under Jack and spent the next forty minutes alternating between sucking him and rimming him, but refusing to let him come.

Now Daniel was buried balls deep in Jack’s slick, tight heat and keeping them both on the edge, spiraling them higher and higher and then backing off.

Jack’s deep, throaty moans were driving Daniel crazy and he was quickly losing control as Jack began writhing against him, desperate to come.

Jack pressed on Daniel’s hand, putting pressure on his throbbing cock as he slammed back against his lover.

“You wanna come?” Daniel rasped.

His answer was an arched back and another deep moan. Biting down briefly on the soft flesh where neck met shoulder, Daniel growled, “Hang on.”

Daniel pulled out and arranged Jack on his hands and knees. With one arm around his lover’s waist and his hand grasping a rock hard erection, Daniel sunk back in and then slammed into Jack again and again.

With Daniel tugging and pulling at his hard on, Jack came, blinded by a powerful orgasm and clenching rhythmically around Daniel.

Daniel gripped Jack’s hips tightly, pounding into him, grunting and dripping sweat until he emptied his balls deep inside his lover.

They stayed in bed a little longer, curled around each other, kissing and laughing softly. It was Saturday, generally the busiest day at the winery, but Briar Patch Farm was hosting their annual Oktoberfest and both men had been looking forward to attending.

They had gone for the last two years and every year Carl and Irene Adler expanded the festival. At the end of the three-day festival last year, a beer-making contest had been announced for this year’s festival. Their six children and their spouses would once again be manning the large outdoor grills, turning out bratwurst, potato pancakes, sausage and cabbage, and other typical German fare.

Irene’s bakery, The Baked Briar Patch, would be supplying a number of different types of strudel. This year, Carl had invited Jack and two of the larger wineries to sell wine by the glass. Jack put Brian in charge of the booth and Walter would be on hand to deliver more wine if it was needed.

Jack, with Daniel’s help, had been brewing beer in the kitchen all year, making meticulous notes for each batch. He had settled on a stout he named Black Satin to bring to the contest. It was a dark beer, robust and bitter and went well with stews and meat. He didn’t expect to win the judging, but it had been fun learning to brew beer.

Today was the second day of the festival and would get underway at 10 AM. Jack had driven past the farm on Sound Ave yesterday and had seen the large tents filled with tables and the colorful bunting hung all over. The aroma of the food had drifted on the crisp air and if not for Daniel’s bitching about his cholesterol, Jack would have stopped for a quick bite.

When Carl had stopped by the winery to ask if Jack wanted one of the booths, Carl had told him he’d hired an oom-pah band, two polka bands, and a band specializing in drinking songs and Bavarian folk music. All four bands would be rotating throughout the festival. Last year, Carl had had three bands, with only one polka band, and the festival attendees had been happy to get into the spirit of things and dance.

Last year’s Oktoberfest had been hugely successful, bringing in even more tourists in the normally busy fall season. The town council, in an effort to ride the coattails of the Oktoberfest had added a second Harvest Festival to the calendar, scheduled for a week after the Oktoberfest and a weekend of Halloween events. They were always looking for ways to bring in tourists; they were good for business, willing to spend money to entertain themselves and their children.

The East End of Long Island was gorgeous during this time of the year. The air was crisp and clean with deep blue skies and puffy white clouds. The farms stands began hawking their fresh fall produce tempting city dwellers to stop and shop for the last of the corn, brussel sprouts, winter squash, sweet potatoes, beets, carrots and other root vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, pumpkins and gourds of all shapes and sizes.

Some of the farms had pumpkin patches so children could have the joy of selecting their own pumpkins. Hayrides were set up and a trip around the farm was exciting to people surrounded by concrete. The women spent long hours baking during the fall, and their offerings were also on sale. Pies, breads, and donuts were provided fresh daily. The hours they had spent canning during the summer now paid off as every farm stand offered rows and rows of jewel colored jams and jellies that were quickly snatched up.

Local honey had started appearing two years ago as a few of the farmers had agreed to sell the results of two different beekeepers on the North Fork. Those with artistic talent set about painting pumpkins and it was humorous to the residents just how much people were willing to spend on a pumpkin with some paint.

Bouquets of flowers decorated every farm stand and most of the wineries. Tourists were encouraged to pick their own sunflowers at a dollar per stem. Sunflowers, mums, marigolds, snapdragons and daisy’s were all abundant and lush this time of the year. Many of the farm stands sold flowering plants for those that wanted to keep plants rather than flowers that would soon die. It was a riot of color and added to the overall pageantry of the season. Beneath it all, the scent of ocean and earth and pine drifted on cool breezes.

The wineries were also busy as people began planning meals for all the upcoming holidays. They all had to find the perfect wine to go with their meals and Jack spent a lot of time in the tasting room assisting customers. Daniel would often join him, sitting at a table and watching his lover deftly handle customer after customer, charming them all.

Jack and Daniel were meeting John and Rodney at the festival, with Winsome, Brad, and Zakia joining them for lunch. Zakia would be going to a friend’s house after lunch, giving the adults time to relax and socialize. They would be setting up a table at the back of the wine booth so the friends could be together all day. The booth was centrally located so they would be able to hear the music and still be able to talk. Teal’c and Nicola would be joining them for part of the day and many of their more casual friends were expected to drop by.

The tents were set up near the playground and the small pen Carl kept for a few lambs and goats. The farm was family friendly and Carl usually had several picnic tables set up in the playground. Winsome took Zakia to the farm several times a year to pick various fruits and vegetables. The tables were gone for the day, but the animals would be kept in their pen and the large playground would be open for the children.

The day had dawned clear, dry, and crisp, the sky an impossible blue. Daniel had cooked a hearty vegetable soup last night, making enough for several days. He knew Jack would stuff himself full of unhealthy food today and he wanted to make sure he’d be making up for it. He’d stopped by one of the produce stands on his way home from work, picking up fresh produce.

The days warmed up nicely with an occasional cool one thrown in for variety, but it was always chilly enough in the evenings to have both soup and a fire. Jack and Nicola watched the weather carefully. If the fall weather remained as perfect as it had been over the last few weeks, this year’s wine would be exceptional.

Jack and Daniel shared one more kiss, then heaved themselves out of bed to shower and dress. They both donned the “East End” uniform, as Jack called it; jeans, and a button down shirt; they would slip on their sports jackets before they left the house. Footwear often depended on profession, but was usually sneakers, work boots, or oxfords.

It was Jack’s turn to make breakfast; today he was making egg white omelets with tomatoes and mushrooms, multigrain toast with locally made jam, sour cherry for Daniel and raspberry plum for Jack; paper thin slices of smoked salmon, and steel cut Irish oatmeal with raisins and apples, which Daniel thought was healthier than the American instant version. Daniel put up coffee, let Max out, and set the table. Breakfast was generally a hurried affair, but when they had time, they tended to make a production of it.

They ate, thoroughly enjoying their meal, discussing the upcoming festival. After they finished the pot of coffee, they did the dishes and spent a few minutes cleaning up. A housekeeper came in once a week, but both men did whatever needed to be done as it arose. Jack’s years in the military had instilled a need for order and Daniel’s years of owning little ensured he took care of his possessions and his surroundings.

They had put the folding table and chairs in the truck last night. All that remained was for Jack to pack up his beer. They let Max stay out; she would find her way to the tasting room and the staff there would feed and water her.

Jack honked the horn three times as he passed the tasting room and they drove the five miles to Briar Patch Farm.

~0~

Jack packed the truck up after a day spent eating, talking with friends, enjoying the music, and sampling the beer. The ladies from the quilting and gardening clubs, along with their husbands, had spent time with Jack and Daniel and their friends and the horse farmers had descended upon John to discuss upcoming shows. People from the college stopped by to say hello and some of them sat to gossip with Daniel, John, and Rodney.

Jack’s stout earned an honorable mention and he was determined to take home a ribbon next year. Daniel had spent some time with Irene and she encouraged him to taste all of her strudels. The bakery made the traditional apple and cheese strudels, but also cherry, poppy seed, chocolate, and her latest, pumpkin-cranberry pecan strudel. She was willing to share her recipes with him once she learned he liked to cook.

Business at the wine booth had been brisk and a few dozen people had stopped by the winery to pick up wine once they left the festival. Jack left Brian to clean up and instructed him to restock the booth early the next morning. The reds did better than the whites, being strong enough to stand up to the hearty German food. It never warmed past 58 degrees, so the more robust reds also helped ward off the chill.

It had been a great day, but both men were looking forward to a quiet evening in front of the fireplace and a game of chess. The traffic on the single lane of Sound Ave was moving slowly as people left the festival. Daniel popped in the CD he’d purchased; it featured one of the bands that performed at the festival, he wasn’t quite willing to return to everyday life just yet.

They were half way home when Jack’s phone rang. “O’Neill.”

“Mr. O’Neill? This is Zoe. Can - - Can I ask where you are?”

“Daniel and I are on our way home. Is there a problem?”

Brian had assured Jack that Zoe was capable of handling the tasting room for the day, but her voice was unsure and she sounded nervous. “No, not really, but there’s a woman here to see you and she’s being quite insistent. She’s, um, she’s getting loud.”

“Understood. Tell her I’m a few minutes away. And, Zoe, if she gets any louder, call the sheriff and make sure she sees you doing it,” Jack ordered.

“Okay. I’ll be sure to do that. Thanks, Mr. O’Neill.”

Jack hung up and concentrated on driving, running through possible scenarios in his mind. He was startled by Daniel’s touch and the softly spoken question. “Is everything okay?”

“A loud customer apparently. But we’ve got all kids running the tasting room today,” Jack answered.

“Zoe’s got a good head on her shoulders,” Daniel reassured his lover.

“I know,” he said, sounding far from convinced.

The rest of the ride was silent and Jack didn’t bother to park properly when they arrived at the tasting room. He quickly strode in, Daniel hard on his heels. The tasting room had closed several minutes ago and most of the staff was cleaning up. Two dark haired children were sitting at a table quietly eating sandwiches.

Zoe was wiping down the bar, keeping a close watch on a woman sitting in a chair by a window. The woman became aware of Jack and rose, smirking at Zoe. “Are you Jack O’Neill?”

“I am. And you are?” Jack asked, trying not to stare. The woman was wearing a bulky cable knit sweater and a very brief pair of jean shorts over thick patterned leotards. It was impossible to tell what color her hair was, unless one judged it on her mousey colored eyebrows, which were riddled with several piercings. The short, curvy woman’s hair was a rainbow of spikes, neon pink and blue predominating. Her face was surprisingly free of make up and she was quite a pretty woman in her mid thirties.

“Daisy DeMarco, and we need to talk privately,” she said glancing over at the children.

Jack motioned for Daisy and Daniel to follow him into his office. Daisy turned to eye Daniel. “I said privately.”

“Daniel’s my partner,” Jack stated. “Now, why don’t you tell me why you’ve been harassing my staff.”

“They’re rude and tried to give me the runaround. I needed to speak to you and I wasn’t about to take no for an answer,” Daisy remarked tartly, sitting.

Jack sat behind his desk. “They were just doing their jobs.”

“Whatever,” she said, reaching into an oversize satchel and removing an envelope. “I’m sorry to be blunt about this, but there’s never an easy way to do this. Your cousin Sean and his wife, Elise were killed in a car accident two weeks ago. This is a legal document they had written up giving you custody of their kids.”

“Sean O’Neill?” he asked shocked. Jack had lost contact with his family years ago and not exactly by choice. He hadn’t thought of his cousin in years and a series of images flitted through his mind; mainly connected with summers spent fishing with their grandfather. The last time he’d seen Sean, it had been at their grandfather’s funeral. When the old man left the cabin to Jack, it had created yet another rift in the family. It was also the last time he’d seen his parents.

Jack took the envelope from Daisy’s hand and quickly read the contents. It was a simple legal document and gave Jack O’Neill custody and guardianship over the two minors, Autumn and Wynter O’Neill. “Why are the girls with you instead of Social Services?”

Daisy sighed. “About six months ago, I met Elise in a park. I was sitting on a bench crying, with everything I owned in my car. My husband had beaten me up again and I ran because I knew he’d kill me the next time. Elise and Sean took me in. Elise changed my appearance and they treated me like family. They were homeschooling Autumn and Wynter and I’m a teacher. It seemed like the perfect solution,” she tried not to let the fear and desperation she had felt at the time show.

“They took you in off the streets?” Jack asked in disbelief. It sounded irresponsible to take in a stranger with two young children in the house.

“Elise was. . . fragile. She wasn’t coping well with homeschooling. Autumn and Wynter are, well, I guess scary smart is the best description. Elise was an artist and Sean wasn’t home a whole lot. He was a long haul trucker, so he thought it was a good solution all the way around,” Daisy explained. “And it was all good up until a couple of months ago.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” Jack remarked.

“I didn’t either. Six weeks ago, Sean and Elise moved us from St. Paul to Caribou Township. One minute we’re living a sort of normal life in the suburbs, and the next we’re in this rundown, furnished house in the middle of nowhere.

“A few days after we got there, Sean showed me the papers giving you custody and where he kept them, and told me if anything happened to him and Elise to get the girls to you,” she said, wringing her hands.

Her haunted eyes found Jack’s. “He kept saying that it had to be you and you were the only one that could protect the girls. He was scared and he was running, Jack. And that scared me. It took me two weeks to get here because I was afraid of being followed.”

Daisy dove back into her satchel and came back with a large envelope, a small package, and a key on a key ring with the name and address of a storage business in St. Paul. “Sean left me a letter saying that he left some stuff for you in a storage unit, and that you should be careful when you went to get it.” She handed the key over, along with the large envelope, and the small package. “I took Elise’s jewelry for the girls. I thought they’d want it when they get older. I found this in the drawer with the custody papers and the letter. It’s the girls medical and school records, their birth certificates and their baptismal certificates along with several other legal documents. He also left me cash. What I didn’t use to get here is still in there.”

Nodding as he put everything aside to look at later, Jack asked, “Do they know about their parents?”

“I told them. They’re coping as well as can be expected.”

Jack leaned back in his chair, sifting through all the information he’d just been given. “You know how far fetched this story sounds, don’t you?”

A brief smile flashed across her face before disappearing. “Of course I know! I never expected to be living a cloak and dagger life. The night Sean and Elise were killed, the sheriff called the only number on Sean’s cell; mine. He quit his job before we left St. Paul and no one in Kittson County knew they had two girls. I ran with them that night. The only thing I care about is their safety.”

Jack handed the custody papers to Daniel. “Daniel, why don’t you give Marty a call and ask him to come over.” Daniel pulled out his phone and left the office to speak to Marty privately and bring him up to speed. It was obvious that Jack was deeply suspicious of Daisy’s story. It also gave him the opportunity to talk to Autumn and Wynter outside the presence of their teacher.

Once Marty heard the somewhat unbelievable story, he promised he’d be over in a few minutes. While waiting, Daniel sat with Autumn and Winter, asking a few simple questions. He learned that they were almost eight and that Autumn was older by ten minutes. Their vocabulary was sophisticated for such young children, and Daniel understood them and their situation much better than Jack or Daisy. He saw the fear they were desperately trying to hide. He brought them both sodas and then Marty was knocking at the door.

Displaying his usual confidence and self assurance, Marty greeted the girls and walked into Jack’s office without knocking. He settled comfortably in the chair across from Jack and turned to face Daisy. “I’m Jack’s lawyer, Marty Licht. So, Ms. DeMarco, can you tell me how you found Jack?”

“Sean gave me his address when he showed me the custody papers. He made me memorize it,” she stated.

“Do you have any proof that you’re telling the truth? For all we know, you could have kidnapped the girls, or killed their parents. How do we know they’re dead? Extortion is on the list as well,” Marty barked.

Daisy reached for her bag once again and pulled out another large manila envelope. She opened it and took out a neat stack of newspaper articles. Marty went through the articles one by one and handed them to Jack as he was done reading.

The articles were all from St. Paul and initially detailed the search for Dana Lombardo, the missing wife of attorney, Louis Lombardo. There was a sizable reward being offered for her safe return. The woman in the photos was prim and proper, well dressed, and had dark honey blonde hair, done up in an elegant twist. She was a substitute teacher in a school in her upscale neighborhood and her husband was desperate for her return.

Later articles were not so favorable to Louis Lombardo as friends and neighbors gave interviews describing the escalating abuse Dana suffered at Louis’s hands. Although Dana had never said anything, the bruises, broken bones, and periodic visits to different hospitals all came out, as people feared that she was dead. He was now under an umbrella of suspicion, suspected of killing Dana. Several candlelit vigils had been held for her.

Daisy looked nothing like Dana at first glance or even a second one. But careful study and comparison of Daisy’s features proved she was indeed Dana Lombardo. She also showed them various forms of ID, but all three of them knew how easy those items could be forged.

She handed one more article to Marty. This article was not from one of the larger St. Paul papers. It was the front page of the Kittson County Enterprise, and told of the single car crash on an unlit, twisting road on an unusually foggy night and the subsequent death of Caribou Township residents Sean and Elise O’Neill. Little was known of them as they had only recently arrived in Kittson County. They were to be buried by the County when no surviving family members could be found.

Handing the last article to Jack, Marty addressed Daisy. “I’m inclined to believe you, Ms. DeMarco, but we’re still going to have to check out your story.”

“I understand, Mr. Licht. I’ll be happy to give you a detailed deposition and my fingerprints, but I’d ask you to give me a few days head start. And I hope you’ll allow me to say goodbye to the girls,” Daisy sniffled, near tears. She loved Autumn and Wynter and would miss them.

Marty cleared his throat. “I’d like to make a counter proposition. Let me contact the police in St. Paul and let them know you’re alive and well, and then I’ll start divorce proceedings for you. Pro bono. This is a nice town. It’s as good as anywhere to stop running.”

Jack nodded his head in agreement. Keeping Daisy around at least for a few weeks would give them time to check out her story and would have the added benefit of allowing him to decide what he was going to do with the girls. “I think that’s a good idea. You can stay at the house until we get things straightened out.”

Daisy’s pretty face rippled in confusion. She was tired; tired from running the last two weeks, and scared that her presence here would put the girls in continued danger. She was convinced that whatever had scared Sean had been courtesy of Louis. Sean had never really understood her fear or believed her when she explained how ruthless Louis could be. Now she confessed what she had been afraid to initially tell them.

“I’m afraid that whatever scared Sean was due to my husband. If Louis found out Sean and Elise were hiding me, it would be his style to threaten and intimidate them. Most people think he’s an upstanding member of society and a good guy, but I know another side of him. He’s ruthless, unethical, controlling, and does whatever he has to in order to get what he wants,” she admitted. “I’m afraid if I stay it’ll put anyone who helps me in danger.”

“You’re forgetting a few things, young lady,” Marty said gruffly. “Jack has excellent legal representation and enough money to make it stick. The police in St. Paul know what you’ve been through and your husband has been exposed. He would be putting his livelihood and his freedom in jeopardy at this point if he tried anything. Let me make some inquires,” he said, raising his hand to silence the protest he could see Daisy was preparing to make. “Quietly, of course. And I’m sure we can go through a St. Paul lawyer for the divorce.”

She had been running on adrenaline since the accident. She thought the accident was just that; an accident. Louis wasn’t the type to get his hands dirty. He ran more towards underhanded, sneaky attacks; forcing people who crossed him into court, bankrupting them, or insuring they had to deal with various government agencies like the IRS. Louis knew a lot of people and didn’t hesitate to enlist their help. She also wouldn’t put it past him to hire thugs to put the fear of god into those he felt needed ‘correction’. But, she didn’t believe he was capable of a cold-blooded premeditated murder.

The stress of looking over her shoulder, thinking Louis was just behind her had taken its toll. She had been more worried about Autumn and Wynter than herself. If Louis did catch up with her, he would’ve had the girls in the system before she could get them to Sean’s cousin.

“I’d be grateful for a place to stay for a few days,” she said simply.

Marty rose, “I’ll get on this first thing in the morning, Jack. I’ll let you know what I find out.”

Jack walked Marty out of his office and to his car. “Thanks, Marty.” Reentering the tasting room, he sat at the table Autumn and Wynter had not moved from. He held out his hand, shaking one small hand and then the other. “I’m Jack. I was your father’s first cousin. I’d really like it if you and Daisy spent some time with me.”

The girls both had long, curly dark hair, pale white skin, and blue eyes framed with almost ludicrously long lashes. One of the twins leaned into the other and whispered in her sister’s ear. A firm nod signaled agreement and they turned to look at Jack. “Okay,” they said in unison.

~0~

Daisy was settled in the guest suite, Autumn and Wynter sharing the bed with her. Jack didn’t have the heart to refuse the girls when they had begged to be allowed to sleep with Daisy until they had a chance to explore the house in the daytime.

Jack undressed for bed, deep in thought. Daniel stripped down to his boxers and turned down the bed, waiting for his lover to break his silence. Jack grabbed his hands, pushing lightly so Daniel ended up seated on the bed, Jack sitting close to him. “I guess this isn’t what you signed up for, huh?”

Bewilderment crossed Daniel’s face and he asked, “What do you mean?”

“Raising kids. I can’t imagine it’s something you’ve ever thought about.”

“You mean it’s not something _you’ve_ ever thought about,” Daniel said heatedly.

“I don’t want to lose you, Daniel,” Jack whispered.

Daniel got up and began pacing. “I did sign up for this, Jack. I signed up for a life with you, whatever that might entail. And don’t you _dare_ put your own insecurities onto me. You have a responsibility to those girls, and that means I do too! Or, is it that you don’t want that responsibility?”

“It doesn’t matter if I want it or not, Daniel. I won’t turn my back on those kids. I could never do that. But, it’s not something we’ve ever discussed. You have the option of leaving,” Jack revealed his fears.

Daniel knelt in front of his lover. “If you turned your back on those kids, I would be very disappointed in you. You know how I grew up after my parents died. And do you get that I don’t have the option of leaving? I love you.”

Resting his head in Jack’s lap, Daniel tightly gripped his legs. “I love you,” he repeated. “I’m not going anywhere. We’ll figure it out.”

Jack ran his hands through Daniels’ hair. He’d never thought he’d have the opportunity to raise a family. Daniel and his friends were his family. The thought of raising two little girls terrified him. “Let’s figure it tomorrow. I can’t think anymore tonight and I just want to go to sleep.”

The two men crawled under the blankets. Soon it would be time to take out their eiderdown comforter to ward off the winter chill. Jack had spent a small fortune for it the first winter Daniel was with him, tired of being buried in bedding a week after the cold had set in.

Daniel took Jack in his arms. “I love you, Daniel,” he whispered softly.

It was still early, but both men were exhausted. They fell asleep as they normally did, Jack spooned tightly behind Daniel, his arm draped over Daniel’s waist.

~0~

Jack and Daniel normally spent a few hours in bed on Sunday mornings, but they both rose early, aware they had much to do. They showered and dressed quietly, expecting Daisy and the twins to still be knocked out from their two-week ordeal. The were both surprised when they entered the kitchen to find Daisy deep into the mixing pans, coffee already started, the girls engaged in raiding the cabinets and fridge.

Daisy wiped a forearm across her brow, “I hope you don’t mind. We, er, started breakfast.”

“As long as the coffee is up, Daniel’s happy. What’re you making,” he sniffed.

“Besides the coffee? Banana pancakes, hard-boiled eggs, sliced steak, and home fries. What do you two want?” she answered.

Jack laughed. “All that for these two tiny terrors?”

Autumn’s face fell and Wynter stopped what she was doing, looking at Jack in consternation.

“They’re going through a growth spurt,” Daisy explained.

Jack realized the girls were skittish and afraid they’d done something wrong by asking for a large breakfast. He had been teasing, but they didn’t know him. “Better triple up on everything, except the eggs. I was planning on making one of my famous omelets.”

Daisy caught on. “Why are they famous?”

“’Cause they taste so good. But I need some help.”

“Ooh, us, us,” the girls shouted, jumping up and down, two identical sets of blue eyes gleaming in excitement.

“What’s an omelet?”

“What do we have to do?”

“What do we need?”

“You sit, Wynter. I’m a better cook.”

“No you’re not, I am!”

The questions and comments came fast and furious. Mission accomplished, Jack thought. The girls were now involved in something new and had forgotten his unintentionally hurtful comment.

Breakfast had turned into an elaborate meal as Jack and Daniel went through both the refrigerator and freezer, taking out whatever they thought would appeal to the two little girls. They had made so much food there would be no need to cook lunch. The children had tried everything, and had eaten an amazing amount of food for two such slender kids.

The morning had been filled with laughter and the kitchen was in an absolute mess, but no one seemed to care. Maxi stood by looking for handouts, which the children were happy to provide. They had fallen in love with the dog once they realized how gentle she was. Max returned the feelings once she realized the girls were easy marks.

Daisy shooed the girls and Jack and Daniel off, insisting she would get the work done faster if only she was left alone. She was giving the two men time to bond with the children, and Jack appreciated her easing the way.

The girls explored the house and were taken with the rounded ‘tower’ that served as a guest room. The ‘tower’ room had a spiral staircase leading upstairs. The downstairs room was used as a bedroom and the upstairs room was designed as a sitting room for overnight guests, or as a small living room for the owners. The girls found it enchanting, and Jack thought it would be easy to convert the bland bedroom into a beautiful space that the children could share and the sitting room into a combination playroom and a place to study.

Jack promised them they would go shopping for furniture and bedding in a few days. At that, the children began crying, as it hit them that they were never going home again. Jack sat on the couch in the sitting room and gathered them in his arms. He didn’t offer them meaningless words, just held them and told them he and Daniel would be there to take care of them.

~0~

It was a few days before Marty got back to Jack. It had taken time as there were a number of inquiries he’d had to make, in several different counties in Minnesota as well as Chicago.

Some of what he had to tell Jack, he wish he didn’t. He bit the bullet and dropped by the winery without bothering to call. Teal’c directed him to the section of the vineyard Jack was working that day.

Striding into the fields, Marty heard the grape pickers several rows over singing, their voices snatched away by the mild breeze The weather had warmed up again, and the last several days it had reached 70 degrees. He found Jack on his knees, inspecting the plants, or the dirt; he never really understood the appeal of working the vineyard, despite having worked for Joe Cacciatore since he started the winery.

Jack heard him before he saw him. He stifled a grin; it wasn’t everyday he saw anyone dressed in a three-piece suit in the middle of the vineyard. He continued checking the health of both soil and plants, sitting once Marty stood over him.

“Marty.”

“Jack. Your houseguest was telling the truth,” he began with no preamble, as was his style.

“About what?”

“About everything. I’ve spoken to the sheriff in Caribou Township and they think Sean was going too fast for the conditions, but there wasn’t anything suspicious about the accident,” he gave Jack the information he thought his client would want first. Now for the hard part. Marty had gone beyond the scope of what he’d been asked to do, feeling it was his job to keep his clients thoroughly informed.

“Apparently, you’re the closest relative that Autumn and Wynter O’Neill have. There are some distant cousins, and I wasn’t able to find any family for Elise at all. Sean’s parents have been dead for a few years, as yours have been,” Marty said in a rush. He and Joe had speculated about Jack’s past and his seeming lack of family, but Jack had never chosen to share any details.

“I’m sorry, Jack.”

Jack’s head bent when he heard about his parents. They’d cut him out of their lives years ago, but there was always that small flicker of hope that one day they would open their hearts to him. That small hope was now gone. “It’s okay, Marty. I lost them a long time ago.”

“The sheriff has the few possessions Sean and Elise had with them, including their house keys for the house in St. Paul. I can keep digging into Elise’s background if you like,” he said.

“Yeah, that would be good. But, in the meantime, what do Daniel and I have to do to make sure we get to keep the kids?” Jack asked. He and Daniel had discussed it again and again over the last few days. There was no question they’d be taking the girls in, but Daniel thought it would make all of them feel more secure if the children could be adopted. It would speed the transition to becoming a real family.

“Are we talking about under the terms of guardianship or something more permanent?”

“Daniel and I would like to make it as permanent as possible.”

If this had happened five years ago, Marty would have had some doubts about a gay couple being allowed to adopt two young girls, relatives or not. The rules had loosened up over the last five years. That coupled with Jack and Daniel’s place in the community, the fact that they had money, and the wishes of the parents, made it unlikely any barriers would bar them from adopting the children. It was doubtful even Minnesota, a more conservative state, would protest, especially since the children were already in New York.

“I don’t think you’ll have any problems, Jack. I’ll get the paperwork started today if you like,” Marty informed his client.

Smiling, Jack stood and brushed off his hands and pant legs. “Good. We haven’t decided what we’re doing about school yet. We wanted to hear from you first,” Jack confessed.

“What are your options?”

Jack frowned slightly. “Daniel’s pushing to get the girls tested. He doesn’t think they’ll do well in the elementary school, so I guess we’ll be setting that up. I’m not so sure about homeschooling, so that’s one of the things we’re working on.”

Marty’s face softened as he observed the concerned family man, remembering the somewhat reserved man he’d first met. He’d spent some time with Autumn and Wynter and privately he agreed with Daniel, but knew Jack was worried about the girls making friends. He only wanted the girls to be as happy as possible. They’d wormed their way into his heart and he wanted the best for them.

“Let me know when you decide what you’re doing. I’ll need the information if we’re going to go ahead with the adoption.” Marty said.

“Will do. And Marty? Thanks,” Jack said gratefully.

~0~

Jack and Daniel were slowly getting to know Autumn and Wynter, Daisy often smoothing the way for all of them. She was unobtrusive and grateful her charges were with people who would take care of them and love them.

Jack wanted to get up to Minnesota to inspect the contents of the storage unit, but was forced to postpone the trip time after time. He’d left it to Marty to take care of closing up the house in St. Paul. One of Marty’s law school classmates was practicing in St. Paul and he had one of his law clerks go through the house to box up any personal items left. Everything else was sold or given away.

Daniel had wanted to have Autumn and Wynter’s furniture shipped to New York, but it was cheaper to buy every thing new. Buying new also felt like a fresh start, something the counselor the girls were seeing thought was better in the long run. The death of their parents was becoming more real to them everyday, and it helped that Jack and Daniel assured them constantly that they were here to stay.

When Jack received the package from St. Paul, he was surprised at how small it was. Little of a personal nature had been left in the house. He wanted the girls to have as much of their past as possible, He could tell them a little about their father’s side of the family, but he hadn’t seen them for years and he had never met their mother.

Daniel had brought Autumn and Wynter to the college to have their IQ tested. The children had sat at a table, legs swinging and tossing their curly hair back, demanding something more ‘fun’ to do. Daniel chuckled to himself when he saw how they charmed everyone they met. He thought it was most likely an O’Neill trait.

In every area tested, they placed at the 99th percentile or better, each of them with an overall IQ of 165. Because they were so young, it was recommended they continued to be homeschooled. Daisy declined, feeling that the girls would soon be beyond her ability to teach, especially in the sciences.

Daniel asked Rodney for help and it was his suggestion that Autumn and Wynter be homeschooled by the professors in the college. He and John immediately volunteered to spend thirty to forty minutes two times a week teaching them. Most every department had several volunteers willing to give up their time to ensure the twins got the best education possible.

Daniel brought the plan to Hammond, who was agreeable once he met the girls. He was intrigued by the idea and thought if it worked out well he might develop a program for profoundly gifted kids. It would be one more way to attract and retain the type of people he needed at the college. He mentioned this to Daniel, who told him to let him know if such a program was viable as there was at least one other child in Southold who could benefit.

Daniel was thinking of Zakia. Winsome had been complaining for some time now about the local school. Daniel had stepped in and had been teaching Zakia Italian and Spanish and was shortly to begin French. John had been tutoring her in math, giving her concepts and math problems two and three grades ahead of what she was getting in school.

The O’Neill children were a year older than George’s eldest granddaughter and two years older than the younger one, and he extended an invitation for them to come visit once they were settled into their schedule. Daniel had also arranged for Autumn to join the softball team and Wynter to join the basketball team at the local elementary school.

It had also been decided that for the next couple of months, Daisy would stay at Jack and Daniel’s house. She got a part time job at the college and was available to ferry Autumn and Wynter to various parts of the campus, to their practices, and home again. It allowed her to save money for an apartment and it enabled the children to get to know Jack and Daniel, two virtual strangers, while having the security of someone they already loved with them.

~0~

October passed quickly. It was a busy time of the year and the children settled in with a few bumps along the way. There were days when they seemed depressed and were weepy and one or two nights when they woke the house screaming, their sleep broken by nightmares.

The Monday before the town’s traditional Friday night Halloween party, Jack and Daniel resumed their weekly dinners. John and Rodney knew the girls from school, but not everyone had had the chance to meet them yet. Zakia especially was anxious to meet them. She, more than anyone, had missed the Monday night dinners.

It was love at first sight despite the nearly two-year age difference between them and the adults breathed a sigh of relief. Zakia still had her jealous moments where Jack and sometimes Daniel was concerned. Autumn and Wynter dragged Zakia into their bedroom and the three girls were soon planning sleepovers and discussing the upcoming Halloween party.

Autumn and Wynter had decided they would go to the party but wouldn’t go in costume. Neither Jack nor Daniel pushed the issue, allowing them to make up their own minds. Once Zakia heard they wouldn’t be going in costume, she immediately decided to forego the costume she had been planning all year. They decided to decorate blank Mardi Gras masks instead. They secured permission for Zakia to come over after school on Thursday to sleep over and spend Friday with Jack and the twins.

~0~

The town’s annual Halloween party was held in the basement of the First Universalist Church of Southold. Normally, neither Jack nor Daniel had much use for religion, but this church had a female Reverend and gay couples were more than welcome. The two men hadn’t yet discussed what they were going to do about the children’s religious education.

The Universalist Church wasn’t the only church willing to hold a Halloween party, but they had the largest basement. They, like every church in Southold, cared more for the safety of the town’s children than they did about any discomfort in celebrating a holiday that had its roots in paganism. It was true however, that this was a more liberal congregation than most, even in a town known for its liberal views. The houses were too far apart and the roads too dark for traditional door-to-door trick –or-treating. Anyone with children was welcomed and the local businesses all contributed food, candy, and money for decorations. Kids usually stopped attending by the time they were fifteen or sixteen, but the younger ones had fun and they all went home with their bags stuffed full of candy.

The gardening and quilting club members baked cookies for the event and stayed to supervise the games, the food, and the kids, giving their parents a much-needed break. Most of the women in both groups had grown children; the few that had youngsters still at home attended the party as guests.

Winsome and Brad were taking the girls and Daisy back home with them for a sleepover. Daisy was asked just in case there were any problems during the night. The twins wanted very much to go, they were children and wanted to have fun, but they were nervous about having nightmares at their friend’s house. Daisy was the compromise.

Jack had taken all three kids to pick pumpkins for their trip, and they had spent the rest of the day carving and painting them. Jack had carefully picked out the seeds, roasting them. Daniel took half the day off and made pumpkin soup and pumpkin bread, with the kids doing most of the work. As a treat, they had pizza for dinner. By the time they left the house for the party, all three girls were chattering a hundred miles an hour, bouncing in excitement.

Zakia dragged Autumn and Wynter into the large group of colorfully dressed kids as soon as they arrived, introducing them to those they hadn’t yet met. Soon they were dancing and laughing along with everybody else. The club ladies were leading them in the Hokey Pokey, the Chicken Dance, the Macarena, and the Alley Cat.

Jack and Daniel, sitting with Brad and Winsome laughed as all the younger kids, including theirs, proved unable to get through any of the dances without numerous errors. Jack was glad the twins weren’t good at everything. They were giggling when they ran back to the table, each girl jumping on a lap.

“Uncle Jack, Uncle Daniel, did you see how good we were dancing?” Wynter asked breathlessly.

Autumn was vibrating in excitement. “Can we take dancing lessons, please Uncle Jack?”

“Yes, Uncle Daniel and I saw you dancing and you guys were great. And, we’ll talk about dancing lessons tomorrow.”

The girls ran back into the mass of kids. “Dancing lessons?” Daniel murmured softly. “Jack, they’ve both got two left feet!”

“Yeah, isn’t it great?” Jack laughed.

The kids were yawning by the time the party ended at 9:00; it had been a long day, filled with activities, after a night with little sleep. Winsome predicted the girls would be asleep within ten minutes of getting undressed. She planned to crack open a bottle of wine and have a gabfest with Daisy. Brad had a game on tape that he hadn’t had a chance to see yet. The shooed Jack and Daniel home with a few winks and wisecracks.

### November

Jack deplaned and went to pick up the rental car Walter had arranged. The storage unit Sean had rented was very close to the airport in one of the more industrial areas of St. Paul. He drove directly to the unit, and entered the small storage space.

There were several cardboard boxes of various shapes and sizes, with a letter taped to one of them. Sitting against the back wall were two-dozen or so unwrapped paintings. Jack went through them, impressed. All of the paintings were of various nature scenes; the ocean, forest, mountains, and bucolic park like areas, the detail in each painting making them seem almost like photographs. They looked somewhat pedestrian until you looked closely. In each scene, a figure appeared, nearly hidden against the beauty of nature; an old withered crone, somehow imbued with wisdom and ancient knowledge, a bent over, wizened man radiating menace and evil, a beautiful child who seemed anything but human. The paintings were powerful and the work of a gifted artist. Jack decided he’d leave them for now. He would need to find an art store so they could be packed properly and sent to Long Island. He would do that once he returned to St. Paul.

Jack quickly loaded the boxes in the back of his car, and headed toward I-94 and Beulah Township where his cabin was located. It was a three to a four-hour drive depending on traffic and Jack thought he’d check on the cabin since he was so close. It had been six months since his last visit with Daniel, and although it would be easier and take less time to sort through the boxes in St. Paul, Jack felt the tug of the cabin.

He arrived in town, not bothering to stop for food as they’d left several frozen meals in the freezer. Jack pulled up in front of the cabin, moving the boxes from the car to the middle of the large living area. He planned to spend the rest of the day going through them and deciding if it were coming home with him, being shipped, or left behind. He started with the letter, unable to contain his curiosity anymore.

_Dear Jack,_

_If you’re reading this, then something has gone terribly wrong._

_A few weeks ago, I was approached by a nondescript looking man at a truck stop in Texas._

_He told me his name was Smith and that he worked for a government agency that was interested in helping me educate Autumn and Wynter. This guy was just a little too slick and smooth for my taste. I sent him on his way and I didn’t bother being polite._

_I guess I have a lot more of our grandfather in me than I ever realized. You remember the story our dads used to tell us? About how he once ran off a census worker with his shotgun? I remember how he used to go on and on about the government interfering in our lives and how dangerous they were becoming. I used to think the old man was crazy. I’m not so sure about that anymore._

_This Smith guy knew everything about my girls, Jack, and that scared me shitless. When I told him to fuck off, his reply was, and I quote, “You should consider my offer, Mr. O’Neill. It’s a dangerous world for girls that smart and for their parents.” Daisy, a friend of ours who has been helping out with the girls thinks her bastard husband found her and was trying to scare me because I helped her get away from him. I spent a couple of days trying to convince myself of just that, and I was doing a good job, but I received a letter last week with photos of the girls, reminding me how dangerous the world was._

_I’m taking my wife and kids (and Daisy) away for a while until I can decide just how to handle this. You never know, I just might end up in Long Island! Think you can find some work for me?_

_I know you had a lengthy career in the Air Force and would probably know how to deal with this better than I would, but I’ve been reluctant to ask for your help. . . it’s been a long time since we’ve seen or spoken to each other, but when all is said and done, Jack, we’re family._

_In case you’re wondering how I know where you are now, I ran into Peter Shea about a year ago. It’s a long story and I hope I get to tell it to you._

_Sean_

Jack read the letter three times. It was the worst of coincidences that Sean and Elise had died in a car accident. Normally, Jack’s radar pinged over coincidence, but he’d spoken to the sheriff himself after Marty had inquired about the accident. He needed to hear the details Marty hadn’t asked about.

Daisy probably had the right of it; her husband had been involved with the threats to Autumn and Wynter and Sean had panicked. Perhaps he’d had time to think once he and his family had arrived in Caribou Township since he hadn’t gotten in touch with Jack.

Jack would never know.

He walked slowly to the kitchen, getting himself a beer. Peter Shea. That was a name Jack hadn’t heard in years. He hadn’t allowed himself to think of Peter in years. Jack, Sean, and Peter had grown up together, in Brainerd Lakes, twenty-five miles north of Brainerd. Jack and Peter were the same age and had been inseparable since they met in the first grade.

Both Jack’s parents and Peter’s were concerned that they spent so much time together. By the time they were fourteen, both sets of parents tried to keep the boys apart, but it proved impossible. They attended the same school, and they were both willing to lie to their parents.

They were best friends and when they were about thirteen, a new dimension was added to their friendship. Brainerd Lakes had lots of hidden swimming holes and heavily wooded areas. Jack and Peter would ditch the younger Sean and spend hours exploring off the marked trails. They started having sex every chance they could.

By the time they were fifteen they were in love. That was when Jack’s father caught them exchanging blowjobs. He called Peter’s father and both boys had been severely beaten. The O’Neill’s moved to Chicago one month later.

His father never spoke to him again, except to yell, ridicule, or berate him. He allowed Jack to live in his house and eat his food, but that was all. Jack was told that if he were ever caught with another boy, he’d be kicked out of the house. His mother spent the next two years trying to keep peace in the house and her marriage together, but she never fully forgave Jack. She was bitter about the move and more inclined to side with her husband than her son.

Jack entered the Academy when he was seventeen. He wrote to his mother once a week and never got a reply. He saw them at his grandfather’s funeral a few years later where he was asked to stop writing to his mother. That was the last time he’d seen his parents. He hadn’t even asked Marty where they were buried. He wasn’t sure he cared.

It had taken Jack a long time to get over Peter. He hadn’t just lost a lover, he’d lost his best friend and it had taken years for it to stop hurting. He had tried to write, but had never gotten a letter back. When he got to the Academy, he’d tried calling, but Peter’s father had answered and hung up. The phone number was disconnected and the new one unlisted, the next time he tried.

Jack had never forgiven his father. In the following years, he had lovers and he had friends, but until Daniel, never the two in one person and his life had been poorer for it. It was only since Daniel had entered his life that he fully understood what his father had cost him and how much he’d missed out on.

He hoped Peter had found the same happiness he had and then put thoughts of him aside. He needed to go through the boxes. He started with a long, somewhat flat box. It contained Elise’s wedding dress. He’d ask Winsome for her advice. He could either have it framed and hung in the girl’s bedroom, or he could store it for them.

The next few boxes held his grandmother’s crystal glasses and her Aynsley dinnerware that she had taken such pride in. The tableware seemed to be complete, and he knew it was probably quite valuable. The glasses and dishes were carefully wrapped, but he would have to have an expert pack it for shipping.

The next box held smaller boxes containing photos; hundreds of them. Jack had left home with little but the clothes on his back. He had managed to hold on to several photos of Peter and he still had them somewhere, the only piece of his past that went with him. Over the ensuing years, it would have been - - comforting to have had photos of his childhood. He didn’t take the time to look through them now; he figured it could be a family project to put them in albums.

The last box held a number of filled sketchpads and small trinkets from various places. Nothing of value unless you took into account that the trinkets represented a life lived and shared. Sean had packed the things he considered the most valuable. With the exception of the China and crystal, these things would hold no value to anyone but family.

Jack carefully closed the boxes and called the lawyer who was handling the sale of Sean’s house. He asked him to recommend a reliable art dealer. He figured the art dealer would be able to pack all of his cousin’s belongings as well as the paintings. It would all be shipped to Long Island and given to Autumn and Wynter. He promised the attorney he’d stop in to see him in a day or two to sign some paperwork. Marty had already set up two trust funds and Jack wanted the proceeds of the house split evenly and added to the funds.

Hanging up the phone, Jack decided to do some chores around the cabin. He was hoping to get back here in a few months, at least for a long weekend. It would depend on the girls. He didn’t want to take them back to Minnesota until they were ready.

Jack ate a light dinner, called Daniel, and watched television for a few hours until bedtime. He had difficulty sleeping without Daniel and he counted the hours before he could go home as he drifted into a thin sleep.

~0~

Jack was back home at 10 PM, the door left open in expectation of his arrival. Maxi greeted him happily while Daniel waited his turn. He went to peek at the sleeping twins, a sappy smile on his face. He backed quietly out of the room. “I didn’t expect to miss them so much.”

“You love them,” Daniel said.

“Yeah, I do. I love you, too,” he said grabbing Daniel’s hand and pulling him into their bedroom.

Jack pushed Daniel up against their bedroom wall, lips busy at his throat as his hands began stripping him. He had only been gone three days and two nights, but his need for Daniel was overwhelming.

He soon had Daniel stripped, panting, and lying on the bed. Tearing his own clothes off, Jack soon had his face buried in his lover’s groin, inhaling the rich scent and delicately tasting.

Jack pushed Daniel’s leg together and up into his chest so he could get at Daniel’s pucker. His tongue probed and licked wetly from hole to velvety balls and back again. Very soon, Daniel was pushing his ass against Jack’s face, trying to get Jack’s tongue deeper inside of him.

Jack knew it wouldn’t take much to make Daniel come, but he was selfish. He wanted to feel his cock engulfed by his lover’s hot, tender, tight ass, feel him quivering beneath him, see him coming apart.

Jack slicked himself up and lifting Daniel’s legs to his shoulders, he slid in, shuddering with pleasure. He stilled for a moment, reaching for control.

He pumped in and out of his lover’s ass, angling his body to tag his prostate . “Oh, god, yes, yes,” Daniel groaned, gripping himself.

Jack loved seeing Daniel touch himself, loved seeing him so lost to pleasure. Daniel was pulling at his cock, rocking into Jack’s thrusts and his body was glistening with sweat when he came, spilling over his hand.

The scent of semen and sweat rose and coupled with the sight and sound of his lover coming, his cock still being squeezed by Daniel’s aftershocks, ripped Jack’s orgasm from his body. His vision whited out as his body was racked with bliss.

Daniel chuckled. “I guess you missed me, too.”

Jack stroked his face and throat. “Like you can’t believe, Daniel.”

Jack got a washcloth to clean them up, and the two men were soon sleeping, happy and sated.

~0~

The packages from Minnesota arrived and the children had a very unexpected reaction to the paintings. The packages had been delivered midday and Jack and Teal’c had stacked them in the living room to be opened after dinner.

Daniel carefully unpacked the crystal and the Aynsley, promising Autumn and Wynter he would store it for safekeeping. It was service for twenty, so they would be able to split most of it when they got older. The wedding dress was set aside, still in its box as the girls wanted to think about having it framed or stored. The boxes of photos were stacked on the side of the couch to be put in photo albums over the long cold winter nights.

Jack had chosen a painting at random to unwrap; it happened to be the one with the old, bent over man, and Jack was again struck by the menace and evil the painted figure radiated. Autumn saw it and curled up into Daisy’s side shaking and weeping. Wynter screamed and angrily demanded Jack wrap it back up before joining her sister in tears.

Jack and Daniel looked at each other in confusion. It was true that the painting wouldn’t appeal to kids, but this reaction seemed extreme. They hovered near Daisy, unsure how to help.

“Get them each a full dose of Benadryl, please,” Daisy requested.

Daniel ran and, hands shaking, poured the Benadryl, measuring it carefully. With Daisy holding a child to each side, Jack helped Wynter swallow the medicine and Daniel assisted Autumn. Daisy rose, walking the children to the bathroom. She ran a warm bath knowing the water would calm them down as nothing else, not even the medicine, would.

She helped them wash and then dry themselves, putting them in warm flannel pajamas and tucking them into bed. They had both calmed down once they had been in the warm water for a few minutes, and now they were yawning. Jack and Daniel came in to kiss them and their door was left open so they could hear the normal noises from the rest of the house. Maxi lay down between their beds, her head on her paws, signaling her intention to stay and watch the children.

Daisy was waiting for them in the living room. “What the hell was that all about?” Jack asked.

Daisy sighed. Her life here was so much more normal than it had been in years. Jack and Daniel were two hard working men, pretty much living an incredibly traditional life. Daisy hadn’t been living a normal life since the day she had married Louis, more than ten years ago. Her life over the last year or so had improved, but was still far from normal. She chose her words carefully, wanting these two lovely men to understand.

“Those paintings represent a little over a years work.”

“What does that have to do with the girls reaction to the paintings?” Daniel wanted to know.

“Normally, paintings with that much detail would each take months to complete. Elise painted two dozen paintings in thirteen months,” she said. “Did you look at her sketchpads?”

Jack had flipped through them briefly when he’d gone through the boxes, but hadn’t really looked. Daniel went to get the sketchpads and both men went through them. The drawings showed the work of a talented artist, and small up close views were inset amid larger scenes. In a field of flowers, one flower would show the detail seen in the paintings. The sketches were of pretty cottages, a rose covered fence, a boat bobbing in a lake, and the like.

“Elise had a deal with a couple art galleries in a few of the tourist areas. Her paintings brought in a decent income. She did well with tourists who wanted a small piece of their vacation to take home,” Daisy explained. During her time with Sean and Elise, she’d learned more about art than she had ever intended.

“These,” she said, pointing to the paintings in the corner, “she refused to part with and are twice the size of anything else she painted. Sean would only be home two or three days every two weeks, and once they took me in, _all_ she did was paint. There were days when she would only get two or three hours of sleep. I did everything for the girls; I fed them, did their laundry, taught them, put them to bed, everything. It was though she were living in those goddamn paintings,” Daisy spat out.

“What about before you got there, Daisy? You were only with them six months. You said she painted these over thirteen months,” Jack commented.

“Sean told me that before I got there, Elise was doing what she needed to for the kids, but it was becoming harder and harder for her. It’s part of the reason he was so willing to take me in. After they were born, she had postpartum depression and his folks had to come stay with them for almost a year,” she related.

“And the girls?’ Daniel pushed.

“They hated those fucking paintings. They took away their mother and the paintings scared them. Frankly, they scare me too. I know you’ll think I’m crazy, but it’s almost like Elise was, I don’t know, possessed or something, when she painted them,” she admitted. “All I know is, that when she was painting, nothing else mattered. I used to have to force her to eat and bathe.”

“Okay, we’ll put the paintings in the attic for now. I’ll ask at school if they need to be stored in any particular way,” Daniel decided. He was wise enough to know it was the method in which the paintings had been created that had scared Daisy and the children, and not the paintings themselves.

When Autumn and Wynter woke up the next morning, the paintings were gone and they weren’t mentioned again.

~0~

John and Rodney had gone to Toronto for Canadian Thanksgiving. Jeannie, Kaleb, and Madison were now in Long Island to celebrate the American version of the holiday. John’s family had come as well.

Patrick had always been one to hold holidays in his own house, but he enjoyed seeing the life his eldest son had built for himself. After so many years of estrangement, he was now willing to go out of his way. David was content to let his father and wife make the plans. Leah was happy to spend the holidays anywhere she wasn’t responsible for everything. So, with few exceptions, Thanksgiving and Christmas had been spent with John and Rodney over the last few years.

The McKay-Sheppard household was happy to host both families and friends. Taking a lesson from Daniel, John had purchased top of the line cookware and had had Brad in soon after Rodney had moved in to make a number of improvements, including that of the kitchen. It was big and airy with tons of counter space and a large center island. John and Rodney certainly didn’t need so much space for themselves, but because of their position in the community, they often entertained and it made life easier for both their families and the caterers.

When both families were visiting, the women often took over and in the spacious area they weren’t tripping over each other. It had become a tradition for Thanksgiving that Jack, Daniel, Winsome, Brad, and Zakia, along with Teal’c and Nicola would be sharing the meal with John and Rodney. And every year, someone would bring an unexpected guest or two, in addition to those that John or Rodney invited because they had no other plans. This year, Autumn, Wynter, and Daisy were added to the mix.

Jack and Daniel had met with the therapist the twins were seeing and it had been her recommendation that a large gathering for Thanksgiving might be good for the girls. There were no expectations for gifts and a small celebration would only serve to remind them of the quiet Thanksgivings they had shared with their parents. She also suggested celebrating their birthdays a few days beforehand, and to consider a quiet Christmas, saving any large gatherings for the day after. The first holidays after such a major loss were always difficult and the girls had had some input as to how they wanted to deal with them.

Thanksgiving had dawned cloudy and it smelled like snow. It was cold and invigorating. Jack awoke to delicious aromas and an empty bed. Slipping on his robe, he made his way downstairs to find Daniel and the kids cooking. Daisy was just making her way out of her bedroom, yawing widely.

“Good morning sleepyhead,” Daniel kissed him, steering him to the table.

“’Morning, Uncle Jack. ‘Morning, Daisy,” the girls cried, rushing to hug him and then Daisy.

“You two sit. I’ll get you coffee and oatmeal in a few minutes,” Daniel said, turning back to the stove to start the oatmeal and pour the coffee.

Jack could smell pumpkin bread cooking, along with a few other things he couldn’t identify. “Is the bread ready yet?”

“No, and it’s for the meal anyway,” Daniel scolded, trying to forestall the nonstop wheedling he knew Jack would indulge in if he didn’t say anything.

Winking at the three females, Jack pleaded. “Please, just one slice?” Jack knew Daniel would have set aside a loaf for the house as he did every year. It was a game they played and they wanted to include Autumn and Wynter.

“I think you should let him have a slice when we taste it to make sure it came out okay,” Autumn said seriously, her eyes wide in her pale face.

Daniel pretended to consider it. “Well, maybe a small slice,” he agreed.

“Thank you. You’re all too kind,” Jack replied in mock reproach. Unable to maintain the pretense, he laughed. “What else did you decide to make?”

“I decided against pumpkin soup. I just didn’t feel like putting in all that work. So, just the stuffed artichokes and stuffed mushrooms, along with the bread,” he answered, serving the oatmeal.

Breakfast would be light in anticipation of the huge meal they would be eating later. With at least twenty-one people sitting to eat, the amount and variety of food was truly astounding. There were always a few extra people invited and they also brought food. Nicola and Winsome were already at the house cooking alongside Jeannie and Leah, as was Teal’c, who would be bonding with John, David, and Patrick over football.

The meal would be served at 2:00, but the family was leaving early so the girls would have a chance to spend some time with Zakia, and meet Madison, Sabrina, and Andrew. This was no longer a group of friends and extended family; this was a group of people who had all become one large family. Those who hadn’t yet met Autumn and Wynter were looking forward to meeting the latest members of their family.

The mood at the farm was jovial. Daniel and Daisy had joined Kaleb and the women in the kitchen to help cook, Jack had joined the men in the den watching football, and the twins had joined the other kids in a rollicking game of hide and seek. Radek and Robert Rothman were joining the family this year and they were busy helping Rodney set the table and putting out extra chairs.

It was controlled chaos and the wonderful mix of aromas wafting out of the kitchen ramped up everyone’s appetite, as they all anticipated the meal to come. There was only one small bump in the day and John was able to easily smooth it over.

After the prolonged game of hide and seek, Autumn felt the need to escape for a few minutes. She was the quieter, less social of the twins, and she would often need a small oasis of peace before rejoining whatever group of children she found herself in. She curled up in Rodney’s lap, snuggling into his chest as one arm held her close.

Madison happened to pass the room and she slowly entered, a look of outrage crossing her small face as she stood in front of her uncle without being noticed. It was John who saw her standing there on the verge of tears, her small crooked mouth quivering. She looked so much like a miniature, feminine version of Rodney, that John was forced to choke back his laughter.

Catching her eyes, he smiled gently and said, “His lap is big enough to hold the both of you.”

Her face brightening, she nodded, and climbed onto her uncle. He absently made room for her, never breaking off his conversation with Radek. Madison was only a few months younger than the twins, and while she didn’t mind when Rodney paid attention to Andrew, Sabrina or Zakia, if felt different seeing a new kid sitting so comfortably in his lap. It didn’t help that the twins called him uncle. She was unexpectedly jealous, especially knowing that Rodney was teaching the two new girls.

When she was made welcome, she took the time to observe Autumn and was able to see the lingering sadness in her eyes. She knew the girls had recently lost their parents, and all residual jealousy disappeared as both girls sat quietly, being cuddled by Rodney’s strong arms.

John couldn’t take his eyes off his husband and the two children held so safely in his arms. A wave of intense love washed over him and he leaned in to kiss Rodney. Startled, Rodney smiled. “What was that for?”

Eyes shining, John shrugged, flicking his eyes over Rodney’s double armful. Rodney tightened his grip, bending his head to drop a kiss onto Madison’s hair and then Autumn’s.

They were soon called to dinner and the rest of the day passed in an orgy of food, football, games, dessert, leftovers, laughter, and love.

### December

Jack had the decorators out to take care of the tasting room and the house the day after Thanksgiving, but Daniel insisted they do the tree as a family. Autumn and Wynter had gone with Jack to one of the tree farms and he allowed them to pick the tree that would grace the living room. There was heated debate, but a six-foot Douglas Fir was settled on. The tree would be cut and trimmed especially for them and secured in the truck bed before they left the farm.

Jack had taken the customer part of the tag and delivered it to Scott Prince, the owner of the farm. His wife, Lizzie, upon seeing his truck when they’d arrived, had walked out to greet him, insisting he bring the girls to the house to sample Christmas cookies after they picked out a tree.

The back door was open and steamed over. Lizzie was bustling about in the kitchen; her long brown hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and her full apron was spotless despite hours of baking. Her eyes glinted in merriment when she saw them and she soon had them seated, glasses of milk and a large dish of cookies placed in front of them. Her hand brushed over two curly heads, now tangled by the wind. She poured a cup of coffee for Jack, handing over a small plate of plain cookies to Jack, along with a wink. “I won’t tell Daniel or Winsome if you don’t.”

Jack chuckled. It was well known around town that Daniel fretted over Jack’s sweet tooth and Winsome was territorial about where Jack got his sweets. Lizzie, as a member of the quilting club was well acquainted with Daniel and Winsome’s overprotective nature, having seen it in action on a number of occasions. “I thank you, Lizzie.”

She turned to the girls. She’d seen them at the Halloween party, but as curious as she and everyone else had been, they had all kept their distance from the girls so as not to overwhelm them. “So, Autumn and Wynter, those are some unusual names. There must be a story there,” she invited them to tell her.

As usual, it was Wynter who spoke up first. “We were born on December 20th, the first day of winter. My sister was born at 3:30 PM when it was still fall and I was born at 3:40 PM and it had changed to winter at 3:37 PM.”

“Than you are both well named. Do you have middle names?” Lizzie carefully studied the children, almost glad she had no daughters. These two were so pretty she thought Jack and Daniel would be having some problems in a few years.

As Wynter had just stuffed an entire cookie into her mouth, Autumn answered. “I’m Autumn Rose, because my mommy said I was as gentle as a rose and Wynter’s middle name is Storm because she was born crying.”

“Well, you both have beautiful names, Autumn. How are you enjoying being taught at the college,” she inquired. Like everyone else in Southold, she was aware of the unusual schooling the two girls were receiving. She was more curious than most because her youngest son, Luke, was extremely bright. He learned quicker than her three older boys and he was starting to act up in school because he was bored.

Both children’s eyes lit up. “We love it,” Wynter answered for them both. “We get to do all sorts of interesting things and there’s thousands of books in the library.”

“Well, that’s wonderful, sweetie. How would you like to learn to quilt? You could come over on Friday afternoons after the holidays are over. That’s when I teach Zakia,” Lizzie offered. She had heard the children were brilliant, but she felt that children should learn more than their ABC’s. “Then you can stay and play with Luke. My other boys are a bit older, but Zakia tells me Luke isn’t so bad,” she said, winking again at Jack. “They’d be welcome to stay for dinner.”

“Kids, would you like that?” Jack asked them.

Much of what they wanted to study was focused on science and math and if they had their way, they would study nothing else. Daniel was determined to give them more. He had developed a curriculum that included science and math, but also the humanities including philosophy, anthropology, and history, along with the arts and several languages. Autumn and Wynter had both been surprised that they enjoyed their various art classes.

It shouldn’t have been a surprise as their mother had been a gifted artist. Neither of the children had the patience for painting yet, but they both enjoyed crafts that were hands on and required a certain amount of manual dexterity. Autumn liked making collages using a variety of materials. Wynter preferred working with clay and she was looking forward to learning to throw pots.

Since Daniel had thrown open their world, they were willing to try anything once. “Sure,” the said.

“Thanks, Lizzie,” Jack said smiling. He was glad the girls were getting a rounded education and that so many people were willing to help. The Friday excursions, which he called school trips, had been his idea. He had a whole list of activities planned from the educational to the fun. Today was one such trip. Scott had spent twenty minutes explaining how he ran his farm and where his trees ended up. It was all interesting to Autumn and Wynter and they had listened politely and asked a few questions. They had never considered how Christmas trees made it to market.

The children finished their milk and cookies while Jack and Lizzie drank their coffee. She told him she’d call him once the holidays were over to remind him as she packed up cookies for Jack to take home. She included some of each kind that she’d baked over the last few weeks, admonishing the family to save some for Daniel.

The small family went home to begin dinner as they were decorating the tree tonight. It was supposed to snow a few inches overnight and Jack had thought it was a soup sort of a day, so he had defrosted three skirt steaks and several marrowbones in the morning. He and the girls got the rest of ingredients together for the beef soup, Jack browning the beef while the children washed and then added vegetables to the stock pot heating on the stove.

They both liked potatoes so Wynter took out a few white potatoes and two sweet potatoes. They kept the celery whole so it could be easily fished out and thrown away. Daniel had remember to buy baby carrots and a whole package was dumped into the broth, along with a parsnip, a turnip, and an onion. Jack seasoned it, allowing both girls to add the allspice since it was almost impossible to use too much.

Once the soup was simmering, Jack went to the attic to retrieve several storage bins where he had the tree ornaments stored. The ornaments from Sean and Elise’s house had been disposed of; they had all been plain white and blue glass balls. Jack wondered what happened to his grandmother and mother’s hand blown glass ornaments, but he had resigned himself to never knowing.

Many of the ornaments had belonged Joe and Anelina, the rest Daniel had brought with him, and came in a variety of shapes. Most were antique; hand blown and hand painted. Daniel had come home last week with several dozen ornaments that would appeal to kids. Jack put those aside for later as his lover was bringing home one more surprise for the kids.

Jack called Teal’c to come by and help him wrestle the tree into the living room. They set it up with Autumn and Wynter shouting directions and giggling madly at the men’s exaggerated expressions of effort. They soon had the tree in its stand and had strung the blue lights Daniel preferred. They all stood back to admire it, oohing and aahing. Teal’c spent an additional hour with the family, eating some cookies and allowing the children to climb him like a jungle gym while he smiled indulgently.

Once Teal’c left, Jack shooed the girls off to read or play on their computers, while Jack showered and then did some work in his office. It was to this cozy scene that Daniel came home to. He was dragging a small three-foot tree with him, one he and Jack had planned to set up in the playroom. Autumn and Wynter squealed at the thought of having their very own tree.

Daisy was staying with a friend for the night, knowing that there might be some difficult emotions for family tonight. It was a necessary step in the bonding the family was doing. It would also be a good test as she was planning on moving out a few days before Autumn and Wynter’s birthday. She was hoping Jack and Daniel would keep her on for a few more months, but it was time for them to be own their own with the girls and muddle their way through without her.

Daniel went to shower and Jack put up the orzo’s Autumn and Wynter insisted was the only pasta they would eat in their soup. He poured glasses of wine for himself and Daniel while the girls set the table.

Daniel came into the kitchen and gave the children a peck on the cheek and Jack a more lingering kiss that held the promise of more later. “Umm, something smells good.” The soup had been gently simmering for hours and the meat was tender enough to cut with a spoon, and the broth was rich and hearty. The vegetables and pasta filled the soup out. A loaf of French bread and a salad completed the meal. Jack had made enough for at least two days worth of meals.

In between spoonfuls of soup, the girls regaled Daniel with their trip to the tree farm, detailing their argument and the many types of cookies Lizzie had served them. The soup warmed them from the chill of the day and filled two small bellies with nourishment and contentment. When they were done eating, Autumn and Wynter did the dishes, Daniel stored the soup in several Tupperware tubs, and Jack set up the small tree in the playroom. He left the bags filled with ornaments on the small couch for girls to find.

Going to the living room, Jack heard Daniel and the kids starting to go through the ornaments, and when he heard the conversation he decided to wait before entering.

Winter was talking, her voice more self assured and less hesitant than Autumn’s. “Uncle Daniel?”

“Hmm?”

“We were having our lesson with Professor Flowers and she said that kids that get adopted have new moms and dads,” she began. “Is that true?”

Daniel had stopped sorting through the ornaments. “Well, sometimes it is true.” They had spoken with the twins once Marty had started the adoption process, letting them know what they were planning.

A conflicted look passed over Autumn’s face. “Does that mean we have to call you and Uncle Jack daddy?”

Daniel scooted near her and took her hand. “Not unless you want to. Your Uncle Jack and I will be happy with whatever you decide to call us, okay?”

“What if we want to call you daddy?” Wynter demanded, two spots of color in her normally pale cheeks.

“That would be fine.”

“If you’re not going to be our new dads, then why are you adopting us?” Wynter wanted to know.

This was an easy one and something he and Jack had anticipated. “So you both know that you belong to us and we belong to you.”

“Like you belong to Uncle Jack and Uncle John and Uncle Rodney belong to each other?” Autumn asked.

“Exactly like that,” Daniel said.

“But Uncle John and Uncle Rodney are married, Uncle John told us so. You and Uncle Jack aren’t.” Wynter was very close to whining.

Jack decided this would be a good time to enter the conversation. “Is there someone getting married here?” Jack shouted in glee, picking up and tucking a child under each arm.

Giggling and screeching, both children shouted, “You and Uncle Daniel!”

Jack threw them gently onto the couch. “How about if we discuss this after the holidays?”

After John and Rodney had come home from Canada showing off their rings, Jack and Daniel had discussed getting married. It seemed senseless when the marriage wouldn’t be legal in New York, but over the last year, great strides had been made and it was only a matter of time. Both men wanted to marry, but they wanted to marry in front of their friends.

The issue of marriage was soon forgotten in the bustle of the season. Daniel was busy going over his staff’s final exams and updating his own classes’ finals, and then grading them. Jack was busy keeping up with orders and bookings for parties, coordinating his efforts with Teal’c, Walter, Winsome, and Bernie.

Brian had asked for permission to run Friday and Saturday night wine tastings and Jack had agreed to allow him to try it out during the holiday season. So far, it had been a wild success.

Autumn and Wynter were busy planning small gifts for Jack and Daniel and their friends and teachers. The gifts they planned were a combination of store bought and homemade gifts. They had been on shopping trips with Winsome and Nicola, and their uncles.

Jack and Daniel, had spoken with a number of people who had approached them about gifts for the children. They were asked to keep the gift giving in moderation, limiting their offerings to books and clothing. Rodney and John had purchased educational games and a chemistry set for each child.

Jack and Daniel planned on having a playhouse built as their gift; it would be a miniature version of the house. Brad would be building it as his and Winsome’s Christmas gift to the children. Word about the playhouse had gotten around and the East End Gardening Club planned to design a butterfly garden for the children. The Southold Ladies Quilting Club would be sharing in the cost of the plants.

A small birthday party was planned for a few days before the actual event. The Miller family arrived early so they could attend, as did Kathleen and Leah Sheppard with Andrew and Sabrina.

In the few weeks since Thanksgiving, Autumn and Wynter had been in constant contact with Madison, Sabrina, and Andrew. Between video chats, email, and the phone, it was almost as good as living next door.

Jack had wanted to provide a silly, goofy, fun time for both kids and adults. He booked the party at Dave and Buster’s, a restaurant/arcade, filled with video games to appeal to everyone, pool tables, and a bowling alley. Luke was asked along to keep Andrew company. Daisy, who had moved out a few days before the party, joined them, glad to see the children so at ease with Jack, Daniel, and their friends.

They had the place to themselves as the party was held on a school day. The girls had a pile of brightly wrapped gifts to open, and a large pink cake to eat, courtesy of Winsome. Rodney proved that knowledge of physics came in handy as he beat everyone at pool. Jack and John got even when they challenged him to the various video games.

They spent several hours eating and playing before they headed back home, all the kids clutching interesting favor bags and the crap they had ‘bought’ with the tickets won from the games.

~0~

The small family had a quiet Christmas Eve and they all opened one gift before the children went to sleep. Daniel and Jack waited until the children were asleep before exchanging their gifts. It had always been a special time for them and they kept to their tradition of opening their gifts and then making love.

Christmas Day was quiet considering there were two children in the house. The girls had opened their gifts with little of the enthusiasm they had shown at their birthday party.

Daniel reminded them that he had also lost his parents at about their age and a good part of the day was given over to reminiscing. Jack and Daniel let the children take out their memories and Daniel wrote them down so they would never forget. Jack, who rarely spoke of his past, told one or two stories, and soon had everyone laughing when he told them of one year’s disastrous meal. Daniel knew most of it was made up, but the children believed it, even as the story got more and more outrageous.

The gifts were put away, dinner was cooked and eaten, a non-holiday movie was watched, and the day was soon over.

~0~

The day after Christmas, the family enjoyed an elaborate breakfast, all of them relieved they had gotten through the holiday. They would be going to the farm today for a late lunch; everybody pretending for Autumn and Wynter’s sake it was just another shared meal.

They would be going soon after breakfast, picking up Zakia on the way. Winsome and Brad would join them later. Autumn and Wynter were just happy for the opportunity to see Madison, Andrew, and Sabrina before they had to leave for home.

By the time the large group sat for lunch, the household was in its usual noisy, chaotic state. The television was blaring, as was the game system, the kids were running around shouting, and a half dozen loud conversations and debates were occurring all at the same time.

It was like so many holidays that had been spent at either the farm or the winery; a warm, inviting home filled with good food and the people that had become a large family. Jack stepped back from it all and took a moment to regard his family, these people that he’d come to love so much. Listening to the laughter and the good-natured bickering and teasing, he felt peace settle over him. It was good. It was life.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [The Barking Dog Winery: Lost In The Woods](https://archiveofourown.org/works/249074) by [Debi_C](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Debi_C/pseuds/Debi_C)




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